and your parents, renounced your birth and possessions, renounced your
free will, renounced all friendship. This is what the teachings
require, this is what the exalted one wants. This is what you wanted
for yourself. Tomorrow, oh Govinda, I'll leave you."

For a long time, the friends continued walking in the grove; for a long
time, they lay there and found no sleep. And over and over again,
Govinda urged his friend, he should tell him why he would not want to
seek refuge in Gotama's teachings, what fault he would find in these
teachings. But Siddhartha turned him away every time and said: "Be
content, Govinda! Very good are the teachings of the exalted one, how
could I find a fault in them?"

Very early in the morning, a follower of Buddha, one of his oldest
monks, went through the garden and called all those to him who had as
novices taken their refuge in the teachings, to dress them up in the
yellow robe and to instruct them in the first teachings and duties of
their position. Then Govinda broke loose, embraced once again his
childhood friend and left with the novices.

But Siddhartha walked through the grove, lost in thought.

Then he happened to meet Gotama, the exalted one, and when he greeted
him with respect and the Buddha's glance was so full of kindness and
calm, the young man summoned his courage and asked the venerable one for
the permission to talk to him. Silently the exalted one nodded his
approval.

Quoth Siddhartha: "Yesterday, oh exalted one, I had been privileged to
hear your wondrous teachings. Together with my friend, I had come from